Guarding Against the Impossible

According to the Bible, the Roman execution squad made sure of Jesus’ death. The commanding officer reported Jesus’ death to Pilate, the Roman governor. A Jewish leader, Joseph of Arimathea, had not agreed with the killing. He wanted to give Jesus’ body a decent burial. With Pilate’s permission, Joseph took the body from the cross. He wrapped the body in cloth and laid it in a new burial cave cut into solid rock. Others saw all this happening. Then Joseph closed the tomb with a large, fitted stone.

The Jewish authorities were still concerned. They had heard Jesus predict often that He would die only to rise again. So Pilate assigned soldiers to seal the tomb and to guard it for three days.

Surprise At The Grave

Some women wanted to complete the Jewish burial customs. But Jewish laws kept them from doing any work on Sabbaths (Saturdays and holy days). Finally, early on Sunday, they hurried to the tomb. They worried about how to move the heavy stone. That problem was solved for them.

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.“ So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples (Matthew 28:1-8).

Jesus is the arrow that flies upward, rising from death!

Soon the women saw Jesus. They told the others, but were dismissed as speaking “an idle tale” (Luke 24:11). The other disciples had no room for news bigger and better than their limited experiences. How about us? Do our hearts have more room?